Donors come through for Pittsburgh region's children

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Across the region, children in needy families are awakening to find toys under the tree, gifts that were made possible thanks to generous Pittsburgh Post-Gazette readers who donated to the Goodfellows Fund.

Those donations helped to fuel an amazing enterprise that involved countless hours of volunteer work by members of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and several organizations that helped to sort and distribute the toys, along with more than 200 nonprofit agencies that delivered toys.

Each year, more than 50,000 toys go out to children in struggling families, thanks to the Marine Corps Toys for Tots program, which is supported by Goodfellows.

We take time now to salute the companies, organizations and schools that volunteered through Pittsburgh Cares to help make this a magical day for so many:

And we extend our thanks to the more than 2,200 Post-Gazette readers who donated to this year's campaign. A grand total along with the final donations list will appear in the newspaper on Jan. 1.

The Goodfellows story

We at the Post-Gazette are proud each Christmas to tell the story of the Goodfellows Fund, which traces back to 1894.

That year, Major R.W.A. Simmons happened upon a group of children in a Downtown alley. He asked what they were expecting from Santa that Christmas, and they told him they figured he would pass them up, as he had before.

Major Simmons returned to his office, where he and co-worker George L. Bond, then 31 years old, began gathering used toys, fixing them and distributing them to needy children.

That was the start of what would become known as the Toy Mission.

In 1908, Mr. Bond refurbished a sled and gave it to a boy named Joey Sheer. It was the child's only gift that Christmas. The young man never forgot the act of kindness.

By 1935, the mission was serving 18,000 to 20,000 children a year. Churches, clubs, schools and families were invited to donate used and broken toys, and volunteers donated their spare time to fix, repaint and wrap them. Still overseeing it was Mr. Bond, by then in his 70s and white-haired.

Mr. Bond of Crafton died in 1939. In January 1941, the Optimist Club of Pittsburgh approached Mr. Bond's widow with its idea to create a memorial to her husband. The president of the Optimists at the time was none other than I.J. "Joey" Sheer, the boy with the sled who had worked his way to success.

On Nov. 19, 1947, the front page of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette carried an announcement about the creation of the Post-Gazette Good Fellows:

"Even Christmas should have a 'new look' this season.

"Optimist Club members, sponsors of the Bond Memorial Toy Mission, are going to have the help of Post-Gazette Good Fellows in removing that look of disappointment from the faces of Allegheny County's underprivileged children Christmas Day."

Depots were set up to collect donated toys, and cash contributions were solicited to pay for toys for needy kids, with the promise that every contributor's name would be published in the newspaper -- a tradition that continues to this day.

Nov. 25, 1965, saw the debut of a cartoon drawn by Post-Gazette editorial cartoonist Cy Hungerford of a tearful child holding an empty "stocking," actually a tattered sock. It became the symbol of the Goodfellows Fund.

Mr. Sheer, who died in 1987 at age 90, continued as the driving force behind the Goodfellows campaign until he was 85, helping to buy toys and arranging to have volunteers distribute them. The Post-Gazette's partnership with Toys for Tots began in 1999.

Our thanks to all who have helped preserve this wonderful tradition across the years. Merry Christmas!

Today's total: $38,793.50

Grand total: $172,503.31

Newsroom employees of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette...$3,728

Pittsburgh Stock and Bond Association Inc. $3,000

In memory of Ian Cohen - Your family loves you $1,002

In memory of Joseph M. Fastuca $1,000

Anonymous $1,000

In memory of Henry and Claire Leong, Ina Gee Leong......$1,000

In memory of Harry and Gwan Fong Gee $1,000

In memory of our parents$1,000

Anonymous $800

PMTA Southwest Chapter......$750

In loving memory of Mary H. Maguire from Lars and Marybeth Olander and family $700

Corinne Lightbown..............$500

Anonymous $500

Anonymous $500

Anonymous $500

Anonymous $500

In memory of Frank D. Watson $500

Anonymous $400

The Beard family $300

D. Petronko $300

In memory of Alexander Kulli $300

John S. Hyrb $250

Ken and Dianna Kuligowski.$250

American Cable Association.$250

Tri Rivers Surgical Associates Inc. $202

Rachel Check $200

In honor of Ruth and Fred Egler$200

Carol and John Wallace.......$200

Anonymous $200

The seven Cloherty sisters.$200

In memory of Robert E. Thomas and in honor of his Grandson Evan Spencer Thomas........$200

Matt and Chris Kohl............$200

In memory of Ruth and Carl Tolino $200

Dr. and Mrs. Ronald Landay.$200

Tom Lerani $200

Matthew Marlin $200

Ancient Order of Hibernians Division #4 $150

The Department of Psychology University of Pittsburgh.......$150

Zach, Abby, Max, Sam........$150

Spatara Painting $150

Barbara and Robert Park....$150

Ignacia and Blanca Grossmann $150

Janet Markel $150

Anonymous $125

Martin and Lynne Feuer.......$105

Anonymous $100

Roberto DeFazio $100

Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Veltre and family $100

Anonymous $100

Fred and Bev Dupin.............$100

Mrs. Max L. Bluestone........$100

In honor of James, Rachel, Alex and Bethany $100

Barb and Matt Gmuer.........$100

Anonymous $100

Anonymous $100

in memory of Mary Grace Carmody and Sue Thomas.......$100

John B. Mallon Sr. $100

Susan and Donald Giles......$100

Mike and Joan Lynch...........$100

Anonymous $100

Anonymous $100

In memory of Joseph M Bayuk, Sigmund J Pehel and Michael J Pehel $100

In memory of John Breniser$100

In memory of Nancy Yukica.$100

Gregory Waldo $100

Dillan and Bailey $100

Nancy and Jim Stranko........$100

Stan Levine and Barbara Weschler $100

In memory of Sabina Holcomb.$100

Bill and Karen Caughie........$100

Anonymous $100

Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. Barnes $100

F.C.S.L.A. Branch 218.........$100

Henry and Nancy Armstrong.$100

Carol and Nelson Craige......$100

Joe and Ann Shuman..........$100

Carolyn and Linn Noah........$100

Liz and Randy Kosky............$100

Anonymous $100

In memory of Samuel and Geraldine Frey $100

Anonymous $100

Allan and Linda Andrew.......$100

In memory of Daniel J Fitzpatrick, from Bonnie Fitzpatrick-Kaliszewski.........$100

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